Hello!

It’s been a busy few months — travel, talks, interviews, writing — and alongside all that, something quite big has been happening behind the scenes. This update is a little different to the normal newsletter, and I hope an exciting one.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete the survey and give feedback on the blog, website, and podcast. It really means a lot, and I’m now making changes based on your feedback.

(Also, someone sent the most amazing long answer that I want to follow up as a conversation, but there was no name. If that’s you, please say hi!)

What’s happening

The blog started as a side project, but now it’s grown into something bigger. It’s being read by people across the world, shaping conversations, sparking ideas, and (I hope) helping the industry adapt and thrive.

So, here’s the honest bit. I want to make this my full-time work.

I want to do more with it. More interviews. More in-depth thinking. More tools and features that help you. Whether you’re a solo musician, in marketing, running an ensemble, or leading an organisation.

But to do that, it has to become sustainable. And here's the bit that many of you rightly raised in the recent survey (thank you again to everyone who responded!):

We believe musicians should be paid for their work. Writers should be too.

So, after publishing this blog and newsletter for the last few years, I’m making a change. Starting August 1st, the blog will be moving behind a paywall.

There will still be newsletters, updates, podcasts, and ideas from others all for free. But it’s time for the next step.

What you’ll get

From August, blog content will be members-only. You’ll get:

  • Weekly articles
  • Access to the full archive
  • The monthly newsletter
  • Resources and bonus content for premium members
  • Access to a community and networking events (coming soon)
  • And more features to come

What I’ll be covering

Your feedback has been really helpful. The blogs have focused a lot on the orchestra world. I’ll still be doing this, but there will now be more for musicians, ensembles, and other types of organisations.

I’ll be looking at real use cases we can take inspiration from. There will be reviews of conferences, events, services, and campaigns. And, there will even be some extra video content.

How to join

There are three ways to support the work:

🟢 Essential – £5.99/month

All the articles. Every week. No ads.

Perfect if you’ve enjoyed the blog and want to keep reading.

🔵 Plus – £8.99/month

Everything in Essential, plus resources, the chance to request blogs, a dedicated community space (coming soon), the occasional bonus blog, download, or sneak peek.

For people who want to go deeper and be supported more in their work

🏅 Founding Tier – £150/year

A way to back this project early and help it grow.

Includes everything in Plus, an invitation to help shape what comes next, early access to new features, some extra things I haven’t quite thought of yet, and my eternal thanks for being an absolute legend for supporting the blog.

Want to support the blog today?

If you’d like to be one of the first to join, you can sign up now. You’ll get instant access and can keep reading when the paywall launches, and your support makes a huge difference.

Join now

Thanks again for reading, sharing, and supporting all this time. There’s lots more to come, and I can’t wait to keep building it with you.

Thanks!

David